YEAR 2016

Amelia Island’s Rich History

As a vacation destination, Amelia Island remains one of the most sought after and desirable locations in the world. Savvy travelers rank Amelia among the top island getaways in North America, continuing a love affair that spans more than four centuries – much of which were spent fighting over the tiny, treasured land mass. While such attention, adoration and constant pursuit would spoil most, it has shaped Amelia’s character and charisma, making her just as irresistible today as 400 years ago. The only community in America to have experienced life under eight different flags of dominion, Amelia Island is rightly known as the “Isle of Eight Flags.” Characterized by stately Victorian-era architecture, this beautiful and charming seaport village played a prominent role in shaping ’s history. During the 16th century, France, Spain and Britain extended their quests for land and riches to the newly discovered shores of North America and the land that would become known as Florida. Best summed up as “the French visited, the Spanish developed, the English named, and the American tamed,” Amelia’s shores were swept by international politics and intrigue. The island’s other rulers would eventually include the Patriots of Amelia Island, the Green Cross of Florida, and the Confederates. Crucial for shipping routes and global power struggles, Amelia was prized as the deepest natural harbor in the South and Florida’s passageway to prosperity. Over time, the island has been treasured as English plantation land, international port, playground for pioneers and pirates, Civil War fortress, tourist mecca, terminus of Florida’s first cross-state railroad and birthplace of the modern shrimping industry.

Love at First Sight As early as 2,500 B.C., ancient Timucuan Indians praised the attributes of Amelia Island or “Napoyca.” The seeds of the island’s long struggle were planted in 1562, when Frenchman Jean Ribault first landed on the “Isle de Mai” (Island of May). Spain, too, fell in love and became intent on Christianizing the natives of “Santa Maria,” until they swapped Florida with England for . After the swap, British loyalists established plantations for the King and named the island “Amelia” after Princess Amelia, daughter of King George II.

A Checkered Past Enjoying her simple innocence and peaceful nature, many visitors would be shocked to learn of Amelia’s checkered past, when she was little more than a playground for smugglers, pirates and other ruffians, all fighting over her. This rather colorful period began during Jefferson’s

-more- -2-

Embargo Act of 1807, when the island was the border between and American territory. With all U.S. ports closed to foreign shipping, the island’s Spanish harbor of Fernandina became the nation’s smuggling center for slaves, liquor and foreign luxuries. The area now known as Old Town once attracted racketeers from around the world. The bluff overlooking the San Carlos Military Site was lined with bordellos. Eventually Amelia’s town of Fernandina was forced to clean up its act when it ceded to the in 1821. This unruly past was eventually forgiven, as Amelia Island was named “Queen of Summer Resorts” in an 1896 issue of American Resorts. The magazine claimed that nearly 50,000 wealthy northerners had voyaged from New York to Fernandina on the Mallory Steamship Line, making Amelia Island Florida’s first tourist destination.

Unfinished Business At the north end of the island stands , named for General Duncan Lamont Clinch, an important figure in Florida’s Seminole War of the 1830s. Construction began on the fort in 1847 and continued during the Civil War but was never completed. Occupied by Confederate forces when the war began in 1861, it was taken by federal troops when a withdrawal was ordered by General Robert E. Lee just one year later. The garrison operation was greatly reduced in the years following the Civil War and eventually ceased altogether. In 1898, the fort was reactivated for several months during the Spanish-American War and during World War II as a communications and security post. In 1935, the state of Florida purchased 256 acres which included the abandoned fort. This marked the beginning of a program that led to the development of one of the first and finest state parks in Florida. Formally opened to the public in 1938, offers pristine beaches, trails, ponds, salt marshes and the island’s only campgrounds, as well as re-enactments held the first weekend of the month at the remarkably preserved Fort Clinch.

Historic District The island’s charming Victorian historic district began to grow during the post-Civil War era, as soldiers and their families returned to build homes and businesses. Today, the 52-block historic district still blends past, present and future, where Victorian style meets modern day marvels, and where islanders gladly share the importance of Amelia’s diverse and sometimes tumultuous past. Picturesque downtown Fernandina Beach is now home to a unique collection of independently owned shops and restaurants housed in multi-colored brick buildings dating from 1873. Fernandina Beach has 450 ornate Victorian structures that were built prior to 1927, approximately 300 of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

-more-

-3-

Making Tracks Although later the starting point of Florida’s first cross-state railroad, in 1890, Amelia Island was bypassed when American industrialist Henry Flagler extended his railroads to lure tourists to more southern cities along the state’s east coast. In doing so, Flagler spared the island from mass modernization and protected it enduring Victorian charm, but passenger service to Amelia would eventually be eliminated in the 1930s. David Yulee, heralded as the “Father of the Florida railroad,” later made Fernandina Port the hub of his shipping and railroad venture and the beginning of Florida's first cross-state railroad. Yulee’s idea of connecting the and the Gulf of Mexico with a railway system was the foundation for the plan that eventually saved shippers the long and costly trip across the treacherous Florida straits.

Proud Heritage In the mid 1930s, the founders of Afro-American Life Insurance bought 200 acres on the southern end of Amelia Island. A.L. Lewis, one of the founders, was thought to be the first black millionaire in Florida. The 200 acres became known as American Beach, a glorious oceanfront haven for African Americans during the Jim Crow-era of segregation. In its heyday, its homes, restaurants and nightclubs attracted musical superstars such as Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and James Brown. In 2010, American Beach celebrated 75 years. Today, approximately 100 homes remain from the 1940s and 1950s, and American Beach is the first stop on Florida’s Black Heritage Trail. Though its popularity faded with the desegregation, residents such as MaVynee Betsch, great-granddaughter of A.L. Lewis, worked to keep its history alive. MaVynee made her career as an opera singer throughout Europe, and upon her return became known as “The Beach Lady” due to her unwavering devotion to environmental causes. Ms. Betsch died in September 2005, penniless, after devoting all of her time and money to her cause.

Birth of an Industry In the early 20th century, Amelia Island became the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry, as innovators replaced rowboats and cast nets with power driven seines and otter trawls. Today, usually to a crowded audience, laden shrimp trawlers return to the downtown docks with a brilliant sunset backdrop. In its heyday, nearly 80 percent of Florida’s sweet Atlantic White Shrimp were harvested in Amelia’s waters and Amelia’s own Burbank Trawl Makers (locals call it The Net House) was one of the world’s largest producers of hand-sewn shrimp nets. As you might expect, the island’s most popular annual event is the historic Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival. Each year, more than 100,000 island locals and visitors gather to celebrate Amelia Island's livelihood with parades, fireworks, contests, and of course, fresh seafood.

-more-

-4-

Two Centuries of Old Town On the north end of the island, visitors can explore Old Town, the last Spanish Town in the Western Hemisphere in 1811. Old town was the original encampment of the Timucuans and at one time featured the Spanish . In 2011, Old Town celebrated its 200 year anniversary.

History has made its mark on every inch of the island, but to truly appreciate its jumbled past, visitors should try the Amelia Island Museum of History, Florida’s first spoken history museum. Here, in what was once the county jail built in 1935, the history of the Isle of Eight Flags comes alive through exhibits, historical objects and archaeological finds. The museum also conducts informative and entertaining walking tours of the historic district and guided ghost tours. These narrated 90-minute walking tours through historic Fernandina Beach will fill you with the legends of the island and thrill you with tales of the island’s supernatural history. They’ve also recently announced cell phone walking tours, allowing visitors to explore Fernandina Beach history at their own pace.

For visitor information and online planning, visit www.ameliaisland.com.

# # #

MEDIA INFO: Hope Sarzier Hayworth Public Relations 386.677.7000 [email protected]